Jump to navigation

The University of Arizona Wordmark Line Logo White
Home

Search form

  • Explore
  • Locations
  • Calendar
  • Directory
  • Publications
  • Give
  • About

Primary tabs

  • View (active tab)
  • Repeats

Biochar Opportunities in the Southwest: Extension Workshop - Land Grant Speakers

Technical Presentations: Properties of biochar and how it is made.
Darren McAvoy, USU; and Dr Catie Brewer, NMSU

Biochar Opportunities in the Southwest: Land Grant and Extension Speakers

Join our Land Grant university and Cooperative Extension speakers to learn about some key technical aspects of biochar.

APRIL 8, 2021 11:15am - 12:15pm MDT*- Technical Session and Q&A.
 
First Speaker: Darren McAvoy, Extension Assistant Professor of Forestry, Utah State University
How do you make biochar? Scales of production
 

Description: This presentation will cover the range of scales and technologies used to make biochar as well as teach audience members how to make biochar using simple kilns.

Biography: Darren McAvoy is an Extension Assistant Professor of Forestry at Utah State University and chairs the Utah Biomass Resources Group. Darren was formerly a consulting forester in Sandpoint, Idaho. He was a was a wildland firefighter, crew boss and prescribed fire ignition boss in Montana and Idaho, and was a sawyer on the Flathead Hotshot Crew during the 1988 Yellowstone Fires. He is a Fellow of the Society of American Foresters. Darren holds a Master’s of Science Degree in Communications from Utah State University and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Forestry from Colorado State University.

Second Speaker: Dr. Catherine Brewer, PhD, John Kaichiro Nakayama and Tome Miyaguchi Nakayama Endowed Professor, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, New Mexico State University

Biochar Quality: Matching properties to applications

Description: Biochar characterization and evaluation is not one size fits all, which becomes apparent as organizations try to define what is biochar vs. some other biomass-derived carbon-containing material. Determination of what is a "good" biochar adds another level of challenge as biochar properties that offer advantages for one application, may not be advantageous for another application. For example, biochars intended to increase the pH and mineral nutrient content of an acidic, weathered soil may benefit from having a higher and more alkaline ash content. That same biochar applied to an alkaline, saline soil would be at a disadvantage. In this presentation, we will look at the kinds of biochar properties that can be measured and how those properties can inform decisions about each biochar's use.

Biography: Dr. Catherine "Catie" Brewer received a B.S. in Chemistry from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and Biorenewable Resources & Technology from Iowa State University. Prior to joining the faculty at New Mexico State University in 2013, she completed a postdoc at Rice University. Her graduate and post-graduate research focused on biochar characterization and engineering for soil and water remediation application. Her current interests include thermochemical biomass conversion (pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction, torrefaction), products from alternative crops (guar, guayule, hops, hemp), management of desert soils, and biosystems engineering.

Interested? Registration is free! https://arizona.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctde6vqj4oG9UBBWlhZZgxn5915Ao...

For a full description of the workshop, see the agenda attached below.

* All start times are one hour earlier in Arizona.

Main Workshop Event Page

 
Cost:
Free
Registration:
Required
County or Tribal Extension Offices: Gila

Event Date

April 07, 2021 4:00pm to April 09, 2021 12:00pm

Location

University of Arizona Gila County Cooperative Extension

Online event link

https://arizona.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctde6vqj4oG9UBBWlhZZgxn5915AoQIE5O

Contacts

Christopher Jones
928-402-8586
ckjones@arizona.edu

Thanks for your feedback

If you would like to be contacted regarding your feedback, please include your email address here.
If you would like to be contacted regarding your feedback, please include your email address here.
If you would like to be contacted regarding your feedback, please include your email address here.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
cals.arizona.edu
State Administration Office
1140 E South Campus Dr
PO Box 210036
Tucson, AZ 85721-0036
Call Us
  • Questions/Comments
  • Preguntas/Comentarios
  • Employment Opportunities
  • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Employee Resources
  • Website Log In

Legal Disclaimer | University Privacy Statement | ADA/504 Compliance

© 2022 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of The University of Arizona.